Bowling greats lined up to replace Lillee

Fast bowling greats Glenn McGrath, Allan Donald and Craig McDermott, among others, have been shortlisted as possible candidates to succeed Dennis Lillee as coaching director at the MRF Pace Foundation.

"The management has not decided as of yet. They have shortlisted about four or five people like Glenn McGrath, Allan Donald, Craig Mcdermott, Troy Cooley and one other," Lille said.

Lillee is bidding adieu after heading the pace foundation since its inception in 1987.

"We have to pick the best, a person who comes with hundred per cent dedication, commitment and a very good image. I have to be careful with the process and check everything out because not all great bowlers could make good coaches. The difficult thing is not getting people but selecting the best."

Talking about his 25-year-old association with the foundation, Lillee said it was a challenge to take up the job at a time when there was a dearth of genuine fast bowlers in India, save Kapil Dev.

"When I actually came here I noticed that there was no fast bowler but they were all medium pace. I am not saying it in a detrimental way but there was no fast and great swing bowler in India like Kapil Dev," the 62-year-old told reporters.

Lille said that it was hard work for him initially. "I had to work harder on the technical side of fast bowling and insisted them on bowing on one line. But they get back to their native and their own coaches changed their actions and I had a pretty hard work to do."

"I saw three things in them - they never did any running or weights and they had known nothing about technique. Mental toughness was also lacking in them.

"I had to change the whole belief in whole system. What we did was we changed the system and introduced physical work in the morning and nets in the afternoon. In between, the boys rest and come fresh in the afternoon for the nets."

Asked about his biggest success during his stint here, Lille said, "My biggest triumph is to have succeeded in starting from the scratch and built it from nothing to what it is today and success would not have come but for the support I received from MRF Management. They allowed me to do it my way," He summed up.